Elevator signal device.



No. 700,6l9, I Patented May 20, |902.

S. D. CLLETT.

ELEVATR SlGNAL DEVlCE.

(Application med Fab. 1o, 1902.)

(No Model.)

*mi News PETER: co. mounwo. wAsmnc-Yqn, D. c

UNITED Str-iras n'rnnrr OFFICE.

SAMUEL D. OOLLETT, OF NEV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO ELEVATOR SUPPLY duREPAIR COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

ELVATOR SIGNAL DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. l?OO,619, dated May 20,1902.

Application filed February 10, 1902. Serial No. 93,300- (lIo model.)

T LZZ wtont t may conceive:

Be it known that 1, SAMUEL D. COLLETT, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Newl York, State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Elevator SignalDevices, of which the following is a clear, full, and exact description.

Myinvention relates to a signal mechanism for elevators; and my objectis to provide a device by which the starter may give a signal to theoperator in any of the elevator-cars and independently of the othercars.

My invention will be defined in the claims.

The drawing shows diagrammatcally one embodiment of my invention.

In tall buildings provided with a number of elevators it is customary tohave an attendant at the ground-iioor to tell the operator of thecarwhen to start the same upward, so that the cars will run at regularintervals. It often happens, however, after a car has started or when acar is at the top of the shaft that the starter wishes to recall the caror hurry the car on its way, and it is desirable that the starter shouldbe able to communicate with each car, so that he can control theirmovement after they have left the starting-floor. In the embodiment ofmy invention shown in the drawing I have provided anelectrically-operated signal in each car and a relatively independentnormally open signal-actuating circuit to each car and a normally openswitch in each signal-circuit located at the lower floor, by which thestarter may close any one of these circuits at will and give prearrangedsignals to the operator of any car, preferably whenever the car may bein the shaft at that time.

In. thepreferred embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawing Ihave shown a building provided with only two cars; but it will beobvious that its chief application will be in Abuildings having agreater number.

1 and 2 are the elevator-cars at rest at the starting-oor,usually theground-flour. Each elevator-shaft may be provided with lights 3 L1 or5'6 outside of the :shaft on each floor, and alnormally open push-buttonswitch 7 on each floor controls the circuits to these lamps.

A lamp 8 may be provided in cach car to signal the operator to stop atthe floor the car is then approaching.

The brush i) and stationary contact-plates lO to 21 indicate part ofacom m utator mechanism, which may be located at any convenient place forchanging the circuits and making and breaking connections, as is wellknown in the art. This brush 9 may be provided with contact-blocks 22 to7, (indicated in dotted lines)and electrically con nected,as shown. Thisbrush is moved over the stationary contact-plates 10 to 15correspondingly with the movement of the elevator in the manner wellknown in the art. The plates 16 to 2l are understood to be provided witha similar brush moving correspondingly with the car 2.

28 is a suitable source of elcctromotive force-a batteryof a lowelectromotive force, for example.

2O is a mercury-pot, and 30 is a pivoted switch-finger which makes andbreaks connection with the mercury.

3l is a spring-actuated pivoted releasinglever which normally holds thelever 30 in its raised position, as shown.

32 is an electromagnet for drawing lever 31 to the left to release lever30, and 33 isa magnet for drawing down the left end of lever 30 to theposition shown. lVhen the button 7 is pushed, the circuit through thecoils of magnet 32 is closed, energizing said magnet and releasing lever30, the end of which falls and dips into the mercury-pot, partiallyclosing the lamp-circuits.

It will be understood that contact-plates and switch devices will beprovided for each door; but I have in the drawing shown only vthose forone floor and which are used when the car is moving upwardly.

As the car l passes the third floor, for example, the contact-blocks 23and 24 contact with the plates 11 and 12, and if the up button 7 on thefifth floor has beenvpushed a circuit will then be completed from dynamo34 through up lamp 3,plates 11, 12, and 15, mercury-pot29, and lever 30back to the dynamo. Contactplate will not be engaged by block 27 untilthe car has reached the fourth floor, when a circuit is closed from thedynamo through lamp S in the car, plate 13, blocks and 27,

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and plate back to the dynamo through the mercury-pot. This will lightthe lamp 8 and cause it to signal the operator to stop the car at thenext iioor above. Block 26 contacts with plate 14 as the car starts tomove away from the fifth lioor, at which the passenger has been takenon, and closes a circuit from batteryiS through a normally closedtransfer-button switch 35, plate l0, blocks 22 and 26, plate li, andcoils of magnet 33. This energizes magnet 33, raising lever from pot 29and breaking the lamp-circuits. If the transfer-button switch vis openedbefore and until after plate 14C and block 2G are in contact, thecircuit through the coils ofmagnet 33 will not be closed and thelamp-circuits through the mercury-pot will remain partially closed, asbefore, and as the commutators for the other cars are suitablycrossconnected-for example, as shown-the up lamps G and 8' of the nextfollowing' car will be lighted as that car approaches.

39 represents a liquid or other indicator for each car at thestarting-floor for showing the starter the position of each car at alltimes in its travel. It will be understood that any wellknown device maybe provided for actuating the same.

In a building havinga large numberof cars a starting attendant isusually posted at the ground-floor to keep the cars running regularly,and it is desirable that he be able to communicate with each caroperator independently of the others, preferably at all times, so thatthe starter can hurrya car down or recall it or start it from the topiioor, so as to keep the service uniform. In order to accomplish this, Ihave provided a signal on each car-such, for example, as a buzzer40- anda circuit to each, independent of the buzzer-circuits to the other cars,and means located at the starting-floor for controlling theseindependent circuits. In the embodiment of my invention shown in thedrawing I have provided a connection 37 from battery 2S running to thestarting-floor and branch circuits in parallel to each car through thebuzzers therein. These relatively independent circuits preferably havein each a normally open spring-actuated push-button switch t at thestarting-Hoor by which the starter may close any one of thebuzzer-circuits, and thus operate the buzzer in any car at will andindependently of the buzzers on the other cars. The buzzer is an audiblesignal, and the operator will therefore not confuse it with thesignal-lamp 8, and his attention will be called by it whether he is inthe car or not. The buzzer obviously makes the signal only so long asits circuit is closed. I preferably complete the buzzer-circuit back tothe battery by tapping it into the transfer-button circuit, as shown, sothat in this embodiment only one additional wire in each car-cable needbe provided.

It will be obvious that many variations from the constructionillustrated may be made without departing from my invention as claimed,and I therefore do not limit myself to the embodiment heretofore shownand described.

IVhat I claim isl. In a building having a plurality of floors incombination, a plurality of elevator-cars passing said floors, arelatively independent circuit to each car, a signal on each carcontrolled by the circuit to that car, and means located at thestarting-floor and contro1- ling said independent circuits, whereby thesignal on any car maybe operated from said floor and independently ofthe signals on the other cars.

2. In a building having a plurality of floors in combination, aplurality of elevator-cars passing said vfloors, a relativelyindependent and normally open circuit to each car, a signal on each carcontrolled by the circuit to that car and operative on the closing ofits circuit, and means located at the startingiioor and controlling saidindependent circuits, whereby the signal on any car may be operated fromsaid door and independently of the signals on the other cars.

3. In a building having a plurality of floors in combination, aplurality of elevator-cars passing said iioors, a relatively independentand normally open circuit to each car, a signal on each car controlledby the circuit to that car and operative on the closing of its circuit,and a switch in each circuit located at the starting-floor for closingsaid independent circuits, whereby the signal on any car may be operatedfrom said tloor and independently of the signals on the other cars.

Ll. In a building having a plurality of iloors in combination, aplurality of elevator-cars passing said floors, a relatively independentand normally open circuit to each car, a signal on each car controlledby the circuit to that car and operative on the closing of its circuit,said signal being made only so long as its circuit is closed, and aswitch in each circuit located at the startingf1oor for closing saidindependent circuits, whereby the signal on any car may be operated fromsaid floor and independently of the signals on the other cars.

5. In a building having a plurality of iioors in combination, aplurality of elevator-cars passing said floors, a relatively independentcircuit to each car, an audible signal on each car controlled by thecircuit to that car, and means located at the starting-door andcontrolling said independent circuits,where by the signal on any car maybe operated from said loor and independently of the signals on the othercars.

6. In a building having' a plurality of floors in combination, aplurality of elevator-ears passing said floors, a source ofelectromotive force, a relatively independent circuit to each car inparallel from said source of electromotive force, a signal on each carcontrolled by thc circuit to that car, and means located at IDO IIO

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the starting-Hoor and controlling said independent circ uits,whereby thesignal on any car may be operated from said floor and independently ofthe signals on the other cars.

7. In a building having a plurality of floors in combination, aplurality of elevator-cars passing said floors, a relatively independentcircuit to each car, a signal on each car controlled by the circuit tothat car, and means located at the starting-floor and controlling saidindependent circuits, whereby the signal on any car may be operated fromsaid door Wherever said cars may bein their travel and independently ofthe signals on the other cars.

8. In a building having a plurality of floors in combination, aplurality of elevator-cars passing said floors, a relatively independentcircuit to each car, a signal on each car controlled by the circuit tothat car, and means located at the starting-licei"7 and controlling saidindependent circuits, whereby the signal on any car may be operated fromsaid iloor and independently of the signals on the other cars, andsignal devices also at the starting-door automatically indicating thelocation of the dilerent cars in their travel.

9. In a building having a plurality of floors in combination, aplurality of elevator-cars passing said iioors, each of said cars beingprovided with a signalto indicate an intending passenger,l means locatedat different ldoors to cause said signals to be operated, a relativelyindependent and normally open circuit to each car, a second signal oneach car controlled by the circuit to that car and operative on theclosing of its circuit, said latter signal being made7 only so long asits circuit is closed, and means located at the starting-door andcontrolling said independent circuits, whereby a signal may betransmitted from said floor to any of said cars independently of theother cars.

l0. In abuildinghavinga plurality ol' floors in combination, a pluralityof elevator-cars passing said floors, each of said cars being providedwith a signal to indicate an intending passenger, means located atdifferent floors to cause said signals to be operated, a relativelyindependent and normally open circuit to each car, a second signal oneach car controlled by the circuit to that car and operative on theclosing of its circuit, said latter signal being made only so long asits circuit is closed, and means located at the starting-floor"7 andcontrolling said independent circuits, whereby a signal may betransmitted from said ioor to any of said cars independently of theother cars, and signal devices also located at the starting-floor andVisible to the starter, for visibly indicating at all times the locationof each car.

Signed at New York, N. Y., this 6th day of February, 1902.

SAMUEL D. COLLETT.

IV itn esses:

EMERSON R. NEWELL, M. P. TORMEY.

